The Caribbean - Virgin Gorda, BVI

Hi everyone -- We are trying to plan our honeymoon for late July and in addition to looking at Greece and Italy (which might be a reach), we are looking for places closerby (Caribbean). We were wondering if anyone has any advice and experience regarding Virgin Gorda, BVI. We were looking at a resort called Little Dix Bay, specifically. It seems to have most of what we are looking for: semi-private, nice beaches, restaurant. We are not typically interested in snorkling or diving, so that's not something we generally look for. Just nice atmosphere, good food, nice beach. If anyone has any thoughts on Virgin Gorda, Little Dix Bay or any suggestions for other places to look at in the Caribbean (ideally outside of the hurricane zone!) it would be very very much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I can't offer anything other than you've made a great choice :)

To make getting to Virgin Gorda easy, I suggest you fly into San Juan and take Air Sunshine to VIJ. They have several daily flights and are accustomed to serving travelers connecting to Virgin Gorda.

The only part of the Caribbean outside the hurricane zone is the far south. down around bonaire, and further south.

i would also recommend you look into Peter Island if going to BVI. pretty large private island, lots of beach, really private beach on south side, quite decent food. food in Caribbean, although greatly improved over the past 30 years, is still not up to a gourmet tour.

http://www.peterisland.com/

every time we have been there, they have a steel drum band playing dance music every evening.

it is in the middle of the hurricane belt, and hot and humid in summer, as is all but around aruba, etc.

hurricanes only last a couple of days, and are an event, not a catastrophe(for high paying tourists). not like central america, where a hurricane can sit for a week.

I had a very nice stay at Little Dix a few years ago. Just beware that there is very little to do on the island, and I mean very. Very few restaurants, almost no shopping, etc. If you are happy just completely hanging out at the resort the vast majority of the time you may love it.

Another way to get to Virgin Gorda is to fly from San Juan, PR to Tortola (EIS). From there you can take a ferry to Virgin Gorda from Road Town Harbor on the South side of Tortola.

There are a number of places to stay on Virgin Gorda including the far North East end of the island. One place I've seen that is nice is the Bitter End Yacht Club (http://www.beyc.com/). I've never stayed in resort, only moored there. Then on the opposite end of the island (reachable by taxi) is The Baths, which are really fun to explore and hang out. There is also good snorkeling there because it is a marine sanctuary (though you mentioned you aren't that interested in snorkeling).

As mentioned Peter Island is nice and secluded, but also pricey. You could also look into resorts on Jost Van Dyke, which is to the North of Tortola. Jost is much smaller than the other islands, but has some nice beaches (White Beach stands out).

Honestly, the best way to experience the BVI is on a boat, allowing you to go and check out the cays, small islands and beaches all around. If you have any sailing experience, I'd recommend looking into a bareboat charter. I'm about to head over there for my 3rd time for 10 nights on a 41ft catamaran. I've enjoyed every trip more than the previous one. Even if you don't have a boat, the islands are beautiful and I'm sure you'll have a great time.

Congratulations on your impending nuptials!

My husband and I are land lubbers, and we discoved Virgin Gorda in 2002 - we have been back yearly since. On our first trip we rented a property in Nail Bay - beautiful views, but very difficult to get to on the road which has since improved, but can still be quite daunting. Since that time we have stayed at Guavaberry Spring Bay ( http://www.guavaberryspringbay.com/) staying at both the vacation homes and the villas - depending on the number of people in our party. We have enjoyed both and Tina and Valerie are awesome at assisting in making the trip anything we want it to be each time.

But, as others have noted, there is not much to do on the island except sit on the beach and read a book...it is the best place in the world (in my opinon, of course) for unplugging from the real world. My cell does not work there and when we stay in the homes - there is no TV...it is very easy to get lost in the moment and enjoy the time being spent with the one you love.

The time period you are going to be traveling is considered off season for some of the restaurants, so the sparse offerings could be even more so - you will want to inquire of where ever you stay what they are aware of being open or closed...could provide slim pickings for meals otherwise...

We spent time with two couples on our last trip in January who were staying at Little Dix - they had nice things to say about the resort - occupancy was down considerably, so they practically had the place to themselves. The drawback on that though was they had cut back on some of the daily offerings to be less frequent. Also, we did hear comment about how expensive meals were. Meals on the islands will never be inexpensive since they depend on items being flown or shipped in, but my understanding is Little Dix might be a bit more expensive than most for seemingly "normal" things like burgers and salads.

Hope this provides a little insight.

I can't think of a better place for a honeymoon than BVI. Virgin Gorda is lovely. I recommend Little Dix or the Bitter End. Also Peter Island even Cooper Island. All have lots of privacy while offering lots to do.

All have great restaurants - in fact, try to get to them all no matter where you end up staying, if you do end up on Virgin Gorda. Also check out Long Bay Beach on Tortola - or any of the smaller guest houses if you want to avoid a resort.

Do try to get out on the water, either by excursion or sailing. Even ferries from Island to Island, so you can check out the various local offerings.

If you get to Jost - or any Pussers - make sure you have a Painkiller. At least a #2.

Bring "Don't Stop the Carnival" by Herman Wouk to read.

Avoid St Thomas.

Cheers,